~ God is up to something

Students Speak Up

Going back to my post on documentaries that I have been watching, I have a couple more that I want to recommend and briefly discuss. They challenged my thought process as I watched them. (Both are on Netflix.) And both have made me want to open my mouth and speak up. As I saw what these high school school students have done and then what the college students did. While both have challenged me to continue to stand up for what is right and have inspired me, they also scared me. You think such things won’t happen to you but the can.

1. Audrie and Daisy

This one chronicles two high school students who were sexually assaulted by their peers and then bullied by their communities. High school was a tough time for me personally, as I am sure that it is for many people. All you really want to do is fit in. And even these girls who seemed like they did fit in dealt with the same fears and thoughts that I did. Some of these same fears I have learned do not go away even as you get older, though I thought that they would.

The power that these other kids had over these girls, through social media was terrifying. But the same torment happens even as adults. We see it on Twitter and Facebook all the time now when you disagree with someone over their political views or anything that someone else is passionate about.

The further sad part is that the one girl was pushed to the point of suicide because of how she was treated. This is a feeling that I am familiar with and honestly, probably something that many people are familiar with. It’s tough to be criticized and called names and accused of false things. It was encouraging to see how Daisy was able to overcome things and see how she and some other girls came together to support and encourage one another. This film was a reminder of the importance of loving one another and realizing that we are not alone with what we go through. There are others who have walked through similar situations.

2. The Hunting Ground

I remember seeing in the news a couple years ago the fact that colleges and universities seemed to be discouraging students to report sexual assault and those who did seemed to receive little help and support. In all honesty, my college that I attended tried to say that crimes in general didn’t happen on our campus, when we all knew that things did. It was an open campus, as many are. You can’t say that things don’t happen. While I understand that it’s not good publicity to say that rapes and crimes happen on campuses, it’s unrealistic to believe and try and convince your student body that they do not happen.

It was scary and sad to see what these girls discovered about their campuses, as they started their pursuit of working with the Department of Education. I was very encouraged and impressed that they did not give up when so many discouraged them. I was glad to see that others then came alongside them and that the Department of Education did determine to look into their claim.

It definitely challenged me to think on both sides of the situation. While I cannot imagine the pressure that the athletes face, that does not ever give them the right to take advantage of someone else. In no way can I understand that thought process. I am personally grateful that I have not experienced sexual assault like those in the film and cannot imagine what it must have been like to receive no support from those who were suppose to be there for you. I hope that there is a change that takes place and sticks to ensure that people do not have to fear reporting such incidents to police.

Have any of you watched these documentaries or seen any other good ones that have challenged you and made you think?